Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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175. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the particular challenges arising for all of Ireland following Brexit will be part of the discussions with the Northern Ireland Secretary of State and with the political parties represented in the Assembly following the recent elections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12611/17]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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180. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the outcome of discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland following the recent Assembly elections in relation to the need to have the Assembly and Executive re-established without delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12618/17]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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181. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the outcome of discussions he has had with each of the party leaders represented in the Northern Ireland Assembly in relation to the need to have the Assembly and Executive re-established without delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12619/17]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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182. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if in his discussions with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and with the leaders of the parties represented in the Assembly, he has outlined in detail the need to implement in full the Good Friday Agreement and successor agreements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12620/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 175 and 180 to 182, inclusive, together.

Following the outcome of the Northern Ireland Assembly election the Taoiseach spoke with Prime Minister May on 5 March and I spoke with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. I also had discussions with a number of the main party leaders in Northern Ireland.

Both Governments are agreed on the need for intensive engagement to address outstanding issues including; the implementation of past agreements and addressing the legacy of the past, and to ensure the early establishment of an Executive which can operate effectively and deliver for all of the people of Northern Ireland in a spirit of partnership and mutual respect. Dealing with outstanding issues from previous agreements is a necessary and important part of creating confidence at this critical moment for devolution in Northern Ireland.

As co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, both Governments have a role to play in supporting the effective operation of the devolved institutions, and in upholding both the letter and the spirit of the Agreement as a whole, in the interests of all in Northern Ireland. All parties eligible to nominate Ministers to the Executive have been invited to participate in the discussions relating to outstanding issues which, in accordance with previous agreements, are being facilitated by the two Governments.

There is a short three week window for the formation of a new Executive. The political parties have each received fresh mandates. Particular responsibilities attach to the two parties who are entitled to nominate a First Minister and deputy First Minister to engage with each other, and to advance discussions with all eligible political parties, on the formation of a new Executive.

Discussions commenced this week in Belfast. I met yesterday with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and a number of the parties, and I am continuing this engagement today. In our first round of discussions with the parties, both I and the Secretary of State have emphasised to the party leaders the significance of the electoral mandate they have each received and discussed with them the role that each party might play in creating the conditions that allow for the formation of a new power-sharing Assembly and Executive. We have also discussed with the parties the ways forward on the full implementation of past agreements and addressing the legacy of the past.

The heart of the Good Friday Agreement is its interlocking political institutions. However, they can only be sustained on the basis of partnership, equality and mutual respect. As a co-guarantor, the Irish Government is determined to uphold the principles of the Agreement and to protect its institutions. These institutions, including the Assembly and the Executive, are indispensable for addressing the needs and concerns of people in Northern Ireland, including peace, prosperity, reconciliation and indeed the considerable challenges posed by the upcoming Brexit negotiations.

In this regard, I hope that the new Northern Ireland Executive will be in place as soon as possible. The interests of the island as a whole and protecting the gains of the peace process will remain a priority for the Government in the upcoming Brexit negotiations. It will remain part of our ongoing engagement with the Northern Ireland parties. The Government’s All-Island Civic Dialogue is also a central strand of our approach to preparing for and managing Brexit. The Government will continue to be proactive in seeking input on Northern Ireland’s interests, as we prepare for the Brexit negotiations.

In the coming weeks I will continue, in cooperation with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, to engage intensively with the political parties to see the power-sharing Assembly and Executive restored to effective and harmonious operation.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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176. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the particular challenges facing business and enterprise in the Border region, which are heavily or totally dependent on exports to the sterling area, will be considered in the context of the all-island civic dialogue on Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12614/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The inaugural plenary meeting of the All-Island Civic Dialogue took place on 2 November 2016. As a direct follow-up to this, to reflect on the main issues raised, the Government organised a series of fourteen sector-specific events which have been hosted by Ministers in a range of locations across the country. A number of those events were held in border areas. The second plenary meeting of the All-Island Civic Dialogue, which took place on 17 February 2017, brought together the work from the sectoral dialogue meetings and discussed further the preparations for Ireland’s response to Brexit. A report bringing together the key themes of the sectoral dialogues, along with more information about the individual events and the two plenary sessions, is available on merrionstreet.ie and may be of interest to the Deputy.

The Civic Dialogue has proven useful for informing preparations for negotiations and outputs from all sixteen Dialogue events so far have been fed directly to the Cabinet Committee on Brexit, chaired by Taoiseach. The meetings have been valuable opportunities for Ministers to engage directly with stakeholders on the implications of the Brexit process for their sector. Over 1100 industry and civic society representatives have participated in the meetings and many compelling and constructive discussions have been held around the implications for the border regions. The Civic Dialogue will continue to inform the process ahead and the Government is considering the best way through which to continue the discussions. The response to Brexit requires a cross-Government response. This is coordinated across Government, being led by the Department of An Taoiseach in close partnership with my own Department. Within this framework, each individual Government Department is taking forward preparations for negotiations in the specific areas under their remit.

In particular, I am informed by my colleague, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation that, in order to help address the specific issue raised by the Deputy, additional resources have been provided to InterTrade Ireland, the Cross Border Body which has responsibility for developing Cross Border Trade, in order to enable that Body to provide additional services and support to such companies.

The Government is very conscious of the specific challenges facing businesses in the border region who export to Northern Ireland, and will continue to respond to them in any way we can.